Doorlatch



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F. SCHMIDGALL DOORLATCH Filed May 15, 1933 2 Sheets-Sheet l ""(III I Patented Aug. 27', 1935 i 2,012,732

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE DOORLATCH Frederick Schmidgall, Cincinnati, Ohio Application May 13, 1933, Serial No, 676,915

1 Claim. (01. 292-226) My invention relates to door latches, 'par- Fig. 12 is a vertical cross-section of the latter, ticularly useful in latching refrigerator doors, taken in the plane of the line l2--l2 of Fig. 11', and it is the object of my invention to provide and partly broken away. v novel compact means arranged to be placed at Fig. 13 is a cross-section of the same, taken in the inside of the door for latching the door, and the plane of the line l3-l3 of Fig. 12, and partly 5 novel and compact operating means for the broken away. latching-means. Fig. 14 is a perspective view of a detail of the My invention consists in providing novel opsame, showing the arm in assumed position for erating means for the door latching means so assembling of the parts.

arranged that the door may be readily opened Fig. 15 is a cross-sectional detail view, taken 10 or closed by novel hand gripping means, so placed in the plane of the line l5l5 of Fig, 10, and that the principal part of the manual force expartly broken away; and, erted upon the gripping means is directed to- Fig. 16 is an axial section of a detail illusward swinging the door; further, in providing trating the connections of the vertical operating 15 novel operating means comprising an operating rod, taken on the line Iii-l6 of Fig. 8, and partly 15 lever having a hand-grip so related to the pivot broken away. of the lever on the door as to direct force ap- The wall 2| of the refrigerator-or other enplied upon the hand-grip toward or from the closure is provided with a door opening 22, arpivot for bodily moving the door; and further, ranged to be closed by a door 23, suitably hinged 20 in providing the lever with additional hand gripto the wall by hinges 24, of which there may be 20 ping means for swinging the lever on its pivot. a suitable number for properly supporting the My. invention consists, further, in the novel door. parts, and the novel construction, arrangement The walls of the door opening are provided and combinations of parts, hereinafter more with inclined seats 25, in which the slanting fully described and claimed. edge faces 26 of the door are received. Seating 25 The invention will be further readily understrips 21 are secured to the walls of the door stood from the following description and claim opening at the irmer ends of the inclined seats. and from the drawings, in which: A cushion 28 is secured to the inside face of a Fig. 1 is a side elevation of a door having my flange 29 of the door, which extends about the 30 improved device applied thereto, partly broken outer margin of the door. A cushion 30 is se-' 0 away. 'cured to the outer face of the seating strip about Fig. 2 is a horizontal cross-section of the same, the wall of the door opening. These cushions are taken on the line 2-2 of Fig. 1. compressed when the door is closed for forming Fig. 3 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section a substantially hermetic seal between the door of my improved device, taken on the line 3-3 and the wall of the door opening when the door 35 of Fig. 1, and partly broken away. is in closed position. v Fig. 4 is a rear end elevation of my improved Referring to Figs. 1 to 7 inclusive, the door is latching means, partly broken away. provided with a latch 35, the bolt 36 of which co Fig. 5 is a perspective view, showing the keeper operates with a keeper 31-, this keeper being shown attached to the frame, partly broken away, withsecured to the wall of the door opening in a 40 out the latch. recess 38 in the seating strip. The keeper is pref- Fig. 6 is a sectional detail view, taken in the erably' adjustable, screws 39 passing through slots plane of the line 6-4 of Fig. 3. 40 in the keeper and into the wall, and screws Fig. 7 is a side elevation of the outside op- 4| passing through holes in the keeper and into erating means of my improved device. the wall to hold the keeper in adjusted position. 45

. 8 is a Side elevation. Showingv y im- The latch and the keeper are preferably located proved device employed as a double latch. at the inside of the door when the door is closed. Fig. 9 is a horizontal cross-section of the same, a The latch comprises a base 44 having flanges taken on the line 99 of Fig. 8. 45 extending therefrom, these flanges being pref- Fig. 10 is an enlarged horizontal cross-section erably substantially parallel and forming side 50 of the same, taken on the line Ill-40 of Fig. walls for a channel 46 of said base, Flanges l1 8, and partly broken away. of the base have suitable screws pass there- Fig. 11 is a cross-section of a detail of the through into the door. I same, taken on the line ll-ll of Fig. 8, and The bolt 35 is shown as a pivoted bolt, pivoted partly broken away. on a pin 49, located in one endof said side walls 66 and having an engaging face 50 .which coacts with the engaging face SI of the keeper and with the 'outer' edge of the keeper for swinging the bolt upon its pivot when the door is being closed. The

bolt further has an engaging face 52 which coopv the door into fully closed position and for maintaining the door in such closed position.

A lever is located in the channel and is preferably guided by the side walls of said channel for aiding in steadying the same. The lever has a pivot 56 in the form of a pin located in a pivot lug 51 of said lever, the ends of said pin being located in holes in the side walls 45 and held in place, as by riveting or upsetting the ends of the pin at the outer sides of said side walls.

One end of said lever extends toward the bolt,

and has articulation with said bolt for operating a the same. Thus the end of the lever has a rabbet for forming a lug 58 at the end'of the lever, and the bolt has a rabbet for forming a lug 59 alongside the lug 5i, the respective lugs being received in the respective rabbets. The lug 58 is provided with a pin 60 fixed thereto, which is received in a slot.6l in the lug 59, so arranged and connected that swinging of the lever upon its pivot causes swinging of the bolt upon its pivot, for moving the bolt into latching and unlatched relations. The lever and bolt are snugly received between the side walls 45 of the channel 46, but are permitted free movement therebetween for ready operation of the parts.

The pin 60 is preferably spaced from the end of the slot 6| when the door is fully seated (Fig. 3) for permitting continuous urging of the door inwardly.

The lever is provided with a socket 54, the walls of which are received between the side walls 45 of the base. A spiral spring is received in this socket and extends between the base and bottom of the socket. The respective ends of the spring are located about teats 66, 61, respectively on the base and on the bottom of the socket.

The lever has a hand-grip II shown formed by a loop of the lever about a finger-slot I2 in the lever, through which the fingers of the operator are arranged to be received. The middle portion of this hand-grip is opposite the pivot of the lever, so that the main portion of the force exerted upon the hand-grip at substantial right angles to the plane of the door is exerted upon the pivot for swinging the door upon its hinges. This hand-grip is employed principally for closing the door when the operator is inside the enclosure, as a pulling upon the hand-grip moves the door and permits the bolt to swing on its pivot for latching the door in closed position, so that cold in the inside of the refrigerator may not escape or be wasted while the operator is occupied inside the refrigerator.

The lever is further provided with a hand-grip I3 at its outer end, arranged to be employed for swinging the lever upon its pivot for operating the latch. If desired, the operator may swing the lever upon its pivot by tilting the lever when gripping the hand-grip I I, but such tilting is difiicult, and the primary purpose of the hand-grip 'II is to pull upon the door by the operator inside the refrigerator for closing the door, the reaction of the swinging of the bolt upon the hand of the operator while being latched being slight and not objectionable.

Means are also provided for operating the latching means from the outside of the door. A base 'vided with a seat 84, and the lever 55 is provided I5 is provided with side flanges 15, forming side walls of a channel I'I between them. This channel may have an end wall -18 at the end of the base. The base comprises flanges I0 through which screws pass into the door for fastening the 5 base to the door. A lever is pivoted between said walls on a pivot 8|..extending through said lever and having its ends 'received and held in holes in the side walls I6. The lever is guided between said side walls.

The lever is provided with a hand-grip 82 at its outer end. The lever has a lug 83 which strikes the base as a stop for limiting movement of the lever in closing direction when the door is open, the stop being however preferably spaced from the base (Fig. 3) when the door is closed for permitting continuous urging of the door inwardly by the spring 65.

The portion of the lever in the channel is prowith a seat 85. A rod 86 extends through holes 01, 88 in the bases 44, I5, and through the door of the refrigerator, the respective ends of the rod being loosely received in the seats and 84 on the levers 55, 80.

Outward pull upon the hand-grip 82 acts to unlatch the latch, and the operator at the outside, continuing to pull outwardly upon hand-grip 02, swings the door outwardly. Outward pushing movement upon the hand-grip I3 at the inner end of the lever 55 acts to unlatch the latch, and continued outward pushing upon said hand-grip acts to swing the door outwardly. Inward swinging of the door is obtained by the operator grasping the hand-grip II thereon, the force of the pull being transmitted to the pivot 56, and thence to thedoor, for pulling inwardly on the door, the closing movement of the door acting to latch the latch as hereinbefore described.

If it is desired to lock the door, the how 09 of a padlock 00 may be placed in holes 9| in the side walls I6 of the outer base I5, thus placing the same in obstructing relation with the inner end of the outer lever 80 for preventing operation of the latch.

When extra heavy or extra large doors are to be employed, it is found desirable to employ more than one latch. Such a use is shown in Figs. 8 to 16 inclusive, in which similar parts are designated by similar reference numerals raised to the series I00.

In these figures two latches I M are shown. The inside lever for operating the latches is shown as a composite lever, comprising the inner lever I55, the upright rocker-rod I02, and the arms I03, the lever, rocker-rod and arms being connected for combined movements.

A hub I04 has trunnions I05 located in bearing holes I06 in the side flanges I45 and in a hole I06 in the lever I55, the hub having a lug I01 which passes through an elongation I08 of one of the holes I06 in assembling the parts. The hub is fixed to the lever by a rivet I09.

The upright rod I02 is square in cross-section and is located in a bore IIO of similar cross-section in the hub I04, so that the rod rocks with the swinging of the lever.

The lever is provided with a lug III which is arranged to strike the base I44 and form a stop when the door is in open relation, this lug being however spaced from the base (Fig. 10) when the door is closed to permit the spring I55 to urge the bolts I36 for drawing the door into sealing position when the door is closed. 7

Each end of the upright rod is located in a 76 lengthwise of its trunnions, as shown at I", and one of the side walls II! is provided with a slot' I93 through which this narrow portion'is readily received endwise when the arm is in assumed position at substantial right angles to its usual arrangement, as shown in Fig. 14 so that the trunnions may slip endwise into their respective holes, and the arm then be swung for being located between the side walls. The outer margins of the side walls are connected by a web IQ! for obstructing the view of the inside mechanism and providing a flush outside for the casing, which is readily cleaned.

In my improved device the door may be opened from the inside oi. the refrigerator by manipulation of the inside lever 55, even it the outside lever I0 is locked, so as to permit an occupant of the refrigerator to make an exit even it the outside lever be accidentally or purposely locked. My improved device is simple and,compact in construction, and the principal working p'arts are placed at the inside of the refrigerator, the outside handle and its escutcheon plate being the only parts normally exposed, so that neatness in appearance is obtained.

The normally hidden parts may be made massive and need not be or superior finish, so that. strength and economy are obtained.

The parts are so constructed and arranged that simplicity and conveniencein operation are obtained, permitting the door to be readily and quickly opened and closed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is:

In a door latch, the combination of a base,

.door latching means, said base having outwardly extending flanges forming side walls of a channel, a lever in said channel having operative connection with said door latching means, said lever having a hand-grip, a pivot between said side walls and said lever at the middle portion of said hand-grip, said lever provided with a socket at theside of said pivot, said socket having walls received between said side walls, and a coil spring between said side walls of said base and the bottom or said socket.

FREDERICK SCHMIDGALL. 

